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TOYING AROUND: Everything Before New York Toy Fair Edition!

It’s finally here! As you read this very column, the TOYING AROUND team is roaming the aisles of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center checking out everything the New York Toy Fair has to offer. Those posts will start appearing in the near future, but before we even set foot in the Big Apple, companies like DC Collectibles and Diamond Select Toys gave everyone a preview of what’s to come. At the same time, Hot Toys previewed “Captain America: Winter Soldier” figures, Kotobukiya showed off Marvel pieces and IAmElemental showed off its next wave of figures. Go ahead and check out everything here and then keep coming back for reports on what DCC, DST, McFarlane, Hasbro, NECA and others have on display at the show!

If you dig multipacks, you might want to check out the “Batman: Arkham Knight” one featuring Oracle and Batgirl or the Wonder Woman 3-pack that includes original appearance, classic and New 52 versions of the character.

The beloved Burnside-dwelling version of Batgirl will take her rightful place in the Icons line with a deluxe pack that includes her motorcycle. Cyborg, Deathstroke, Swamp Thing, Wonder Woman, Darkseid and Grail will also become Icons. Display options will also increase thanks to a pair of accessory packs in the works that will include mini-figures of Ch’p and Batmite.

The animated version of the Caped Crusader continues to inspire more and more figures. New ones will include Harvey Bullock, Talia, Clayface, Ventriloquist with Scarface, Christmas Joker, Firefly, Harley and Joker plus a massive Batwing, a “Batman Beyond” 3-pack and a Girls Night Out 5-pack of Poison Ivy, Livewire, Supergirl, Batgirl and Harley Quinn.

For fans of less articulated offerings, DCC dropped two new Bombshells: Bumblebee and Raven as a cheerleader and enchantress respectively as Rafael Albuquerque’s take on the Dark Knight enters the Batman: Black and White line. Finally, Joker Fish and Osito have been enlisted for cuddles in the Super-Pets Plush! line.

DIAMOND SELECT TOYS | Diamond Select Toys also unveiled plenty of the items they will have on display in New York this weekend. DST’s Minimates brand will expand to include a “Gotham” Rise of the Villains 4-pack, 2-packs based on “Captain America: Civil War” and a fifth series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles blind bags. The larger scale, mostly unarticulated Vinimates will be joined by Ripley and the Warrior Alien from “Aliens.”

Other comic-inspired pieces include the 9-inch Joker PVC figure and the Phantasm resin bust from “Batman: The Animated Series,” the Spider-Gwen Marvel Gallery piece, the 12-inch Marvel Premier Collection Rogue and a Superman bottle opener. A “Nightmare Before Christmas” Unlimited Jack Skellington Coffin Doll and the Star Trek TOS Romulan Bird of Prey Electronic Starship will also land in the future.

The second series of Muppets Select figures will bring Bunsen, Beaker, Animal, Statler and Waldorf. Animal comes with his drum set while the hecklers will be packed with their balcony and chairs.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR | It’s no surprise that Hot Toys debuted incredible “Captain America: Civil War” action figures. The company has been doing just that for the Marvel Studios films as far as we can remember. Even so, the Captain America and Winter Soldier sixth scale figures sure look amazing! Both sport screen accurate costumes from the May 6-debuting film as well as unmasked faces that mimic Chris Evans and Sebastian Stan perfectly. In addition to his iconic shield, Cap will also come with a damaged version of Crossbones’ helmet and extra body parts while the man formerly known as Bucky sports extra hands, a big gun and a shiny new metal arm!

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE | The other two big heroes teaming up for the big screen also earned some next-level action figures, this time from SquareEnix. The Play Arts -KAI- versions of Superman and Batman each come with multiple hands and other accessories like a heat vision face and a grappling gun, respectively. Sold through Sideshow Collectibles, these figures will ship in the summer.

MARVEL | Kotobukiya looked to one of Marvel’s most recent heroines and a longstanding one in a classic costume for two August releases. The Spider-Gwen Marvel Bishoujo measures just shy of 9 inches tall as she performs a leaping punch. She also comes with an unmasked head for alternate displays. Over on the ARTFX+ side of the street, Rogue makes her way into the Marvel Now line-up based on the artwork of Adi Granov. Standing like a true boss in her green costume, Rogue threatens to remove her glove and steal the power of anyone who gets too close.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY | From DC’s clown princess of crime to Marvel’s most dangerous woman in the cosmos we have Gamora! The Sideshow Collectibles Premium Format Figure of the Guardian of the Galaxy crouches on an alien base and stands 15 inches tall. If you splurge for the Sideshow exclusive, you’ll also get a Tactical knife for her left hand. Gamora ships early next year.

SIN CITY | Even though it came out in 2005, Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller’s adaptation of “Sin City” continues to breed impressive collectibles. Hollywood Collectibles Group just showed off a 20-inch-tall quarter scale Marv statue based on Mickey Rourke’s performance as the character. The HCG exclusive version, which is limited to only 100 pieces, comes with a right hand holding Kevin’s severed head to recreate that famous scene in the film. Both ship in the summer.

IAMELEMENTAL | IAmElemental continues to build a strong army of female-centric action figures for girls and boys with their second wave of figures. The line-up, dubbed Wisdom, will consist of Creativity, Ingenuity, Curiosity, Logic, Exploration, Mastery and Oblivion. The 4-inch figures can be pre-ordered now and will ship in the summer.

FUNKO | Expect a mountain of Funko reveals coming out of Toy Fair, but even before that the company revealed a variety of upcoming products. “Game of Thrones” Pops will bring Stannis Baratheon, Melisandre, Bronn, Margaery Tyrell, Jorah Mormont, Unsullied, Harpy, Night King, a deluxe Rhaegal and even a Daenerys and Drogon 2-pack into the fold in February.

WEIRD AL | Finally, the master of the parody song, “Weird Al” Yankovich will be immortalized in plastic by NECA thanks to the company’s clothed 8-inch figure. Though more versions of the musician will come out later on, this first one features two heads: an ’80s version and a more modern visage. The “UHF” star’s figure also comes with signature accordion and microphone for performance accurate posing.